Michigan State Hosts Florida In Championship Rematch
12/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#2/2 Michigan State (5-0)vs. #8/9 Florida (3-0)December 6, 2000 -7:00 p.m. -East LansingESPN
Florida Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Michigan State Player UpdatesDownload Free Acrobat Reader
Note Of The Night
Championship Rematches - The Michigan State-Florida contest marks just the 16th time that the two national finalists have met the following year. In the previous 15 meetings, the defending champion has a 10-5 record, including a 3-1 mark when the game is played on the champion's homecourt. Although this is just the 16th meeting between finalists, it's the fourth rematch in the last five seasons and the 12th since 1983. Last year, Connecticut defeated Duke, 71-66, in a neutral-site contest.
Three More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Championship Rematches Outside Of Conference Play - Six of the 15 national finalists rematches have been between conference opponents. In the nine rematches between foes from different conferences the defending champion owns an 8-1 record, including a 1-0 record at the champ's home when Duke defeated Michigan during the 1992-93 season.
2. Winning Streaks - Michigan State owns the nation's longest winning streak at 16 games. The last loss came Feb. 26, 2000, at Indiana, with the Spartans falling to the Hoosiers, 81-79, in overtime. The current winning streak is tied for second longest in MSU history. With a win against Florida, the Spartans would set the second-longest streak in school history at 17. MSU also won 16 straight in the early 1930s, winning the last 15 games of the 1930-31 season and the 1931-32 season opener. The longest winning streak in school history is 22 games, set during the 1998-99 season.
3. Double-Double Trouble - After missing double-doubles by just a single rebound each in back-to-back games against North Carolina and Eastern Washington, Andre Hutson recorded his first double-double of the season and 11th of his career against Illinois-Chicago with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Freshman Zach Randolph also added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The last time two Spartans had double-doubles in the same game was Feb. 12, 2000, as Morris Peterson (18 pts., 10 reb.) and A.J. Granger (11 pts., 11 reb.) accomplished the feat in a 61-44 win at Wisconsin.
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo is 125-48 (.723), 59-25 (.702) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. Izzo's 120 wins in his first five years tied for him seventh most by a coach in his first five seasons of coaching. In 1999, Izzo was named national coach of the year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98. With MSU's 77-71 overtime win over Indiana on Jan. 11, 2000, Izzo became just the fourth Spartan coach to reach the 100-win mark.
Izzo vs. Florida - Tom Izzo is 1-0 in his career against Florida, having defeated the Gators, 89-76, in the 2000 NCAA Championship game.
Izzo vs. Ranked Opponents - In his five-plus seasons of coaching, Tom Izzo has posted a 32-25 record against foes ranked in the AP Top 25. This includes wins in 20 of MSU's last 24 games against ranked opponents.
Much Too Young To Feel This Old - Although just in his sixth year, Tom Izzo is currently tied for the second-longest coaching tenure in the Big Ten, trailing only Purdue's Gene Keady (21st year). Penn State's Jerry Dunn is also in his sixth year.
Home Cooking - Michigan State currently owns a 33-game home winning streak. It marks the second-longest active streak in the nation behind only Utah's 54-straight wins. Over the 33-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 23.0 points. Just four of the 33 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Florida Notes
Probable StartersMichigan State Spartans (5-0) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #34 Andre Hutson (Sr., 6-8, 245) 12.4 8.4 1.8F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (So., 6-8, 255)7.0 3.4 0.4F - #23 Jason Richardson (So., 6-6, 220)17.2 6.0 2.6G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 16.4 5.0 6.4G - #11 David Thomas (Sr., 6-7, 210) 4.8 4.8 2.0
Florida Gators (3-0) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #00 Brent Wright (Sr., 6-9, 235) 14.7 8.7 1.7C - #50 Udonis Haslem (Jr., 6-8, 265) 18.0 9.3 0.7G - #10 Brett Nelson (So., 6-3, 185) 7.7 2.0 5.7G - #12 Justin Hamilton (So., 6-3, 198) 6.7 2.7 3.3F - #25 Major Parker (Sr., 6-4, 218) 6.0 2.7 2.0
MSU/Florida Stat ComparisonsCategory MSU FLORIDAScoring Offense 88.6 89.3Scoring Defense 59.0 62.7Scoring Margin +29.6 +26.6Field Goal Pct. 50.6% 44.4%Field Goal Pct. Defense 37.6% 41.6%3Pt. FG Pct. 41.1% 30.1%Free Throw Pct. 74.6% 75.7%Rebound Margin +21.8 +5.0Turnovers per game 16.2 14.0
Scouting The Gators - Florida enters the game with a 3-0 record after a hard-fought 83-76 win over DePaul on Saturday afternoon. The Gators are led in scoring by Teddy Dupay, who is averaging 22.0 points per game. Dupay, however, has been suspended indefinitely and his status for Wednesday's game is uncertain. Junior center Udonis Haslem, who scored 27 points in the National Championship game, is averaging 18.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. Known for their pressing defense and three-point shooting, the Gators are averaging almost 28 three-point field-goal attempts per game.
MSU vs. The Gators - The all-time series between Michigan State and Florida is tied at one win per school. MSU won the 2000 NCAA Championship game, 89-76, while Florida defeated the Spartans, 83-59, in the Fiesta Basketball Classic in Tucson, Ariz., on Dec. 30, 1987.
MSU vs. The SEC - Michigan State has an overall record of 24-18 against current members of the Southeastern Conference. Under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 6-1 against the SEC.
A Floor Fit For A Champion - While this is Florida's first trip to East Lansing, they have played on the basketball court before and have a 1-1 record on the surface. The Spartans' current basketball court is the floor used at the 2000 Final Four. As the NCAA Champion, Michigan State purchased the floor for $75,000. It was placed in Breslin with the Final Four paint job on Sept. 23 for a National Championship celebration. It was then shipped to Dollar Bay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the same place it was built, for a new paint job. It was reinstalled in Breslin last week in time for the Coca-Cola Classic.
Hold Onto The Ball - A key for Michigan State will be limiting its turnovers against Florida's pressure defense. In the NCAA Championship game last season, MSU committed 14 turnovers. This year, the Spartans are committing just over 16 per game, while Florida is forcing its opponents to 23 turnovers per game.
Looking Ahead - Loyola
What's A Road Trip - After opening the season with six-straight games at home, Michigan State will travel to Loyola on Saturday, Dec. 6, for its first road game of the season.The Ramblers enter the week with a 1-4 record and host Central Michigan on Wednesday night.
More On MSU Basketball
Second Chances - Through five games, Michigan State owns an impressive 86-40 advantage on the offensive glass. The Spartans are making the most of these rebounds, having outscored their opponents, 87-35, in second chance points. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (86) as its opponents have defensive boards (87).
Stat Sheet Stuffer - Charlie Bell continues to contribute to the team's success in a variety of ways. He ranks among the leaders in the Big Ten in scoring (11th, 16.4 ppg), assists (1st, 6.40 apg), field-goal percentage (3rd, .612), free-throw shooting (t-13th, .824), three-point field-goal percentage (t-5th, .500) and assists-to-turnover ratio (5th, 2.13). In addition, he is averaging 5.0 rebounds, fourth-best on the Spartans. In the season opener against Oakland, Bell joined Earvin Johnson as the only two Spartans to record a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. (Big Ten statistics through games of Dec. 4.)
Scoring Well At The Bres - Michigan State's offense is usually hitting on all cylinders when playing in front of the home crowd. In the last six games at the Breslin Center, including the 1999-2000 home finale, the Spartans have turned in their top-three offensive efforts under Tom Izzo (114 vs. Michigan 3/4/00, 97 vs. UIC 12/2/00, 97 vs. Oakland 11/19/00). In those six games the Spartans are averaging 92.8 points.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six more rebounds Charlie Bell (1,104 points, 494 rebounds) will become the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,014 points, 633 rebounds) reached the milestone last week when he topped the 1,000-point mark.
1,000, 500, 200 - Six more rebounds will also give Charlie Bell admission into a more exclusive club. He can become just the fourth Spartan to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists for his career. Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga and Ken Redfield are the three previous players to reach the mark. For his career, Bell has 1,104 points, 494 rebounds and 234 assists.
High Flying J-Rich - Everyone has heard the stories of Jason Richardson's dunks. He's on Dick Vitale's All-Dipsy-doo Dunk-a-roos Team and leads MSU with six dunks, but there is much more to his game. He leads the Spartans in offensive rebounds (16) which contributes to his team-high 17.2 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 58.9% from the field, including a team-best 52.9% from three-point range.
Taylor Matures At The Point - Although Marcus Taylor is still coming off the Spartan bench, he has shown significant improvement over the last two games. After totaling nine assists and 10 turnovers in the first three games of the season, Taylor has 10 assists and just two turnovers in games against North Carolina and Illinois-Chicago.
The 70-Point Barrier - Through five games, Michigan State has scored more than 70 points in every game, while holding its opponents to fewer than 70 points each game. Last season, MSU posted a 22-2 record when scoring more than 70 points. This has also led to some happy Spartan fans who receive a free crunchy taco if MSU scores 75 points or more, courtesy of a promotion on the ticket stubs.
Reaching A Milestone - Andre Hutson became the 30th player in Michigan State history to reach the 1,000-point plateau for his career with 14 points against North Carolina. Hutson (1,014 career points) needs 15 points to pass Kevin Smith (1,028 points) and become MSU's 29th-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,104, good for 24th place. With six more points, Bell can become MSU's 23rd-leading all-time scorer, passing Al Ferrari (1,109 points)
Poll Cats - Michigan State has spent the last 48 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 41-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-two ranking in the current AP poll.
Magic Company - Charlie Bell made a strong statement in the season opener, becoming just the second player in Michigan State history to record a triple-double. His 13-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist effort gave MSU its first triple-double since March 24, 1979, when Earvin Johnson recorded a triple-double against Pennsylvania in the NCAA Tournament. In his career, Johnson had eight triple-doubles. Prior to the Oakland game, Bell had never even recorded a double-double. For his efforts, Bell was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week.
Defensive Stopper - While Bell's triple-double got most of the publicity after the Oakland contest, his defensive effort was equally impressive. He held Oakland's Jason Rozycki, who scored 32 against Michigan on Friday, to three points in 32 minutes. "I would almost call it a quadruple-double because I really think the defense he played might have been what won the game," said Tom Izzo. "If there's a better defensive guard, I want to see him." ESPN's Dick Vitale has called Bell the best defensive guard on the perimeter in the nation.
Charlie Bell Getting Defensive - Look for Charlie Bell to regularly defend the opponent's top scorer. Also look for Bell to regularly hold the opposition's leading scorer under his normal scoring average. The chart below demonstrates Bell's defensive prowess, showing the opponent's points in the game before playing Bell, points in the game being guarded by Bell and points the game after playing Bell.
Big Al On The Offensive Glass - Through four games, Aloysius Anagonye has more offensive rebounds (9) than defensive rebounds (8). This should come as no surprise considering he had 52 offensive rebounds and 51 defensive boards as a freshman.
In Case You Missed The Trip To Indy Last March - MSU plays host to the other three teams from the 2000 Final Four (Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin) in East Lansing this season. This is the first time in history that a defending NCAA Champion has played the other three Final Four participants at home the following year. The always tough schedule also includes non-conference contests at home against Kentucky and in East Rutherford, N.J., against Seton Hall. Nine of the Spartans' 2000-01 opponents made an appearance in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. In the 1989-90 season, Michigan played the other three teams from the 1989 Final Four but did not play each team in Ann Arbor.
Getting Comfortable At Home - The Spartans open the regular season with six games at the Breslin Center, including contests against 2000 Final Four participants North Carolina and Florida. MSU has not opened the season with six home games since the 1985-86 season, going 6-0 to open the year.
Thirty-Something x 2 - Michigan State is the only school in the nation to record 30 or more victories in each of the past two seasons, posting a 33-5 mark in 1998-99 and 32-7 record in 1999-2000.
Thirty Something x 2 (Take Two) - MSU is just the second school in Big Ten history to record 30 or more wins in consecutive seasons. Indiana did it in 1974-75 and 1975-76. The 65 Spartan wins over the past two years are the most ever by a Big Ten school in a two-year period.
Missing Parts - Michigan State is without three starters from the 2000 NCAA Championship team. The trio of Mateen Cleaves, A.J. Granger and Morris Peterson accounted for 46 percent (1342) of the points, 32 percent (486) of the rebounds and 46 percent (276) of the assists in 1999-2000.
The Champs! Round Four - Michigan State was tabbed as the preseason favorite by the league's coaches at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. Should the Spartans capture the conference crown, they will become just the fourth team to win four-consecutive Big Ten titles, joining Chicago (1907-10), Ohio State (1960-64) and Indiana (1973-76). The league's media selected Illinois to win the league with MSU picked to finish second.
It's All About Boardwork - In the 1999-2000 season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +11.7 rebounds per game. If early games are any indication, the Spartans are at it again in 2000-01, posting a rebound margin of +21.8 through five contests.
Proving The Old Saying True - Rebounding and defense really do win championships. Just ask the Spartans. During Coach Izzo's tenure, they have regularly been ranked among the nation's leaders in both categories, including the 1999-2000 season when they led the country in rebounding margin at +11.7, two full rebounds ahead of second-place Stanford, and ranked eighth in scoring defense at 58.9 ppg.
Streak Busters - With a 72-68 win over the Harlem Globetrotters on Nov. 13, the Spartans snapped the Globetrotters' 1,270-game winning streak. The Trotters had not lost since 1995 and had not dropped a game to a college squad since 1962 when they lost 101-89 to a group of college all-stars.
For Openers - Michigan State opened its 102nd season of basketball with a 97-61 win over Oakland, marking the 24th-straight season in which MSU has opened with a win. MSU is 81-21 all-time in openers. Tom Izzo has won his six season openers by an average of 29.3 points. The win also marked the 24th-straight home opener for the Spartans, who improved to 84-18 in home openers and 70-11 in season openers at home.
The Past Is Too Good To Ignore - While past success does not guarantee future championships, some stats from the past four years (including the 2000-01 season) are worth repeating, including MSU's record in Big Ten action, 41-7, in the Breslin Center, 45-3, in postseason play, 18-3, in the NCAA Tournament, 12-2.
No Frequent Flyer Miles - Last year, Michigan State traveled 8,650 miles by the time the team took the first semester academic finals. Over a period of 20 days, the Spartans played nine games including a tournament in Puerto Rico and trips to North Carolina, Arizona and Chicago to play Kansas. Things are much different this season as the Spartans will only travel to Loyola (Chicago) before finals.
MSU Rebounds vs. Opponent Points - Against Illinois-Chicago, the Spartans had more rebounds (54) than the Flames had points (53). Last year, Michigan State posted similar efforts on seven occasions, including games against Wisconsin (4/1 - 42 reb., 41 pts.), Valparaiso (3/16 - 39 reb., 38 pts.), Minnesota (3/2 - 45 reb., 43 pts.), Wisconsin (2/12 - 50 reb., 44 pts.), Northwestern (1/27 - 42 reb., 29 pts.), Howard (12/3 - 54 reb., 45 pts.) and Toledo (11/22 - 45 reb., 33 pts.).
In Order To Be The Best, You Have To Play The Best - Once again, the Spartans boast one of the nation's most difficult schedules. Five of MSU's opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, including four in the top 12. They include Illinois (7), Seton Hall (8), Florida (9), North Carolina (12) and Wisconsin (20).
Carrying On With The Flintstone Tradition - Charlie Bell was named Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten by both the league's media and coaches. Should he finish the season with first-team all-conference honors it will mark the fourth consecutive season in which a Spartan has been named first-team all-league, joining former MSU stars and Flint natives Mateen Cleaves (1998-2000) and Morris Peterson (1999-2000).
Wizards Of Westwood - Seniors Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson were named to the John Wooden Award Preseason All-American Team. Bell was also announced as a top-25 vote getter. Last year, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson earned spots on the 10-man Wooden All-American Team. Bell is also one of 30 Preseason Candidates for the Naismith Award.
Spartans Sign Another Strong Recruiting Class - While Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor teamed last year to give MSU one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, the Spartans have once again landed a strong group of high school athletes. On Nov. 8, 2000, Tom Izzo announced three players signed their National Letters of Intent to play for Michigan State. In keeping with a tradition of tough players at MSU, all three recruits played football in high school.
Alan Anderson is a 6-5, 218-pound G/F from Minneapolis (De LaSalle HS). He averaged 21.3 points as a junior and is ranked by many to be among the top 25 seniors in the country after being named by The Sporting News as the number one surprise player of the summer.
Chris Hill is a 6-3, 175-pound combo guard from Indianapolis (Lawrence North HS). He averaged 17 points and four assists as a junior in helping his team to an 18-4 mark. He was selected to the 2000 All-Tournament Team at the AAU adidas Big Time Tournament.
Kelvin Torbert is a 6-4, 200-pound shooting guard from Flint, MI (Northwestern HS). He ranks among the top players in the nation including No. 2 by The Sporting News and Bob Gibbons. He averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4 assists as a junior in helping his team to a 20-3 record, while also earning Parade Magazine third-team All-America honors.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State boasts one of the top freshman classes in the nation with McDonald's All-Americans Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor. Randolph earned MVP honors at the 2000 McDonald's All-American game. Randolph and Taylor join sophomore Jason Richardson as McDonald's All-Americans on the Spartan roster.
U-S-A, U-S-A - Three members of the MSU squad gained experience playing for Team USA over the summer. Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor were on the 2000 USA Hoop Summit Team that defeated an International Select squad, 98-97. Randolph earned MVP honors at the Hoop Summit. Randolph and Jason Richardson were members of the silver-medal winning World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team, where Richardson ranked second on the team in points and third in rebounds, while Randolph ranked third in points and second in rebounds. Richardson also earned a spot on the Men's Select Team that competed against the 2000 US Olympic Dream Team, scoring a team-high 20 points along with a team-best five rebounds and four assists.